Box



Dec. 10,- 1 940. w. T. HOVORKA BOX Filed Oct. 22, 1938 ORKA ' Box? William Hovorha,

cago =Mill and Lumber Company, a corporation oir Delaware 7 Application October '22 im- It has been found that in the handling of commodities such as vegetables, fruitsand-thelike in wooden boxes or cratesthat the wooden bottoms and the lower margins of the'walls'ofthe boxes or crates deteriorate faster than the upper portions of the box walls due to the fact; that fruits and vegetables are moist, so that when the moisture accumulates in the lower portions of the boxes or crates, the bottoms and lower margins of the walls of the boxes or crates become saturated causing the wood of the bottom portions of the boxes or crates to rot or' deteriorate. To obviate this condition the present invention has been devised by providing a wooden box-or crate with a metal pan bottom. 3

It is an object'o-f this invention to provid'e'a stacking or nesting box or crate having 'a'flanged metal base pan for making the box or. crate more desirable for the handli g of moistened vegetables, fruits, and the like. a It is also an object of this invention to provide a wooden box or crate of the tapered type having a metal base pan and metal angle strips overlying the meeting edges of the wallsof the box and the flanges of the base pan. It is furthermore an object of this'invention to provide a stacking and nesting type of box provided with stacking iron's and having aiflanged metal base forming a pan-like bottom, "the corners of which are reenforced by metal corner angles the lower ends of which are formed t0 engage beneath the corners of the pan bottom.

It is a further object of this invention .to provide a nesting and stacking type box havin'g stacking units secured to the top frame of the box, with each of said stacking units-embracing a bent stacking iron, the end.- portionsof which are bent inwardly toward one another to engage through suitable openings in metal corner brackets, after which the ends of the stacking iron are enlarged or flattened outand rotatably project into suitable enlarged openings in-the box top frame to permit pivotal swinging of the stacking irons into' stacking and nesting-posh tions with the enlarged head end portions" of the stacking irons preventing the irons from being pulled outwardly through the openings in the metal corner brackets. 1

Still another-object of the invention isthe provision of a stacking and nesting typ'e' box or crate having wooden walls and provided with a metal bottom pan adapted to be'posit'ioned either on the exterior or the interior-of thebottom portion of the box or crate and which is rigidly connected with the top reenforcing frame rwt 'l'l'yll h, assignor to Chi 193$, Serial No. 23 ,431

of the box or crate bymeansof angle corner 'strips which not only engage over the meeting edges of the box Walls and the meeting edges of' the flangesof the bottom pan but also are (bent'pverto engage beneath the corners of the pan bottom to produce 'a strongbox which will hold 'together even if' the wooden walls of the boxdeteriorate or rot through from theconstant action of moisture resulting from the constant handling of moist vegetables and the like in thebox. 7' It is an important object of this invention to provide a stacking and nesting box or crate for 'thehandling of vegetables, fruits, and similar commodities, said box or crate being profvided with a metal base pan having flanges extendingupwardly to overlap the lower margins of the "box walls thereby providing a bottom which will not rot off or deteriorate from the action of moisture carried by the commodities which arebeing handled.

Other'and'further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in thespecification and the accomparwing drawing. f invention (in preferred forms) is illu strated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawing: I [Figure 1 is an isometric View of a stacking and'nesting box or crate embodying the pain-- ciples of this invention; Figure}? is an enlarged vertical detail section *tlaken' on line 11-11 of Figure 1 and illustrating the mounting of the stacking irons and the positionin'g' of the base pan; 7

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of 'abottom corner of the box;

4 is a" fragmentary isometric view of thegbottom corner of a modified form of box or crate; p I Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical detail section through the lower portion of a modified form of box or crate having the base pan positioned on the interior of the lower portion of thebo'x; and

gure 6 sa s milar sectional view to that 'shownin' Figureb of a modified-form of box'or crate wherein the flanges of the base pan are recessed into the inner faces of the lower portions of the box walls.

As shown on the drawing: The improv 6. box or crate is of the stacking and nesting type and embraces a combination of reenfrced' wooden walls connected to a metal base pan. The improved box or cratecomprises and side walls I and 2 of the box body seat' against the inner face of the pan bottom 3 and said end and side walls are secured to the flanges I and 5 of the base pan byfmeansioffrivetsgnai'ls, or other suitable fastening devices.

Secured longitudinally to the bottom of the base pan bottom plate 3 are side. runners...8 and an intermediate or middle runner 1. Both ends of each of the siderunners 6 are cut-outcor .notchedat 8.

"The .corners of the .boxbddy arereenforce'd by means of metal:angle.strips"9 which overlie or cover the meeting .edges ofltheendrandtsi'de walls as well as the meetingedges.oflthefianges l4 and 5 of the basepan. 'iThe'1ower .en'dsof .the flanges of the corner strips '9 are-bent inwardly to overlap one another and seat in thexnotches or recesses'8 of'the side runners 6 to whichithe bent over bottoms or the cornersti ipsaremlgidly'secured to provide reinforcements .for ."the corners of the baserpan.

Secured around theupper margins of.the.body of the box is atop reinforcingjframeconsisting of end rails l and side rails II iTheinnensi'des of the end and side rails I0 and I I .are. recessed, as illustrated in.Figure f2,' to receive ..'the .upper margins of the'box'walls seated therein so .that the inner surfaces of the box walls. are'flushwi'th 'the.inner faces-of the en'dand siderails .of..the

'top frame. Provided'in bothofthe side .top. rails I I near the ends thereof .are. openings. .or. recesses |.2 (Figure 2).

.For .the purpose .of permitting the Iimproved 'box'es .or crates to be. stackedtoneupon the. other when loaded, the improved .box. isequipped with stacking units at each end of the-top..portion.o"f the box. Each of the stacking .un'its comprises .a pair .of .metal .anglecorneribrackets, each scon- 50 sisting of an-..end flange L3, .asidehange. I hand a top flange I5. The side .flange -.of: each ofethe .corner brackets is provided .with. an opening at I6 which is small in.diameterand which registers with one oflthe openings I 2 of the top. side railI I 55 when the corner bracket .is securedinrplace.

Before the corner brackets .are secured toe-the corners of the top..frame. of the box, eachpairof cornenbrackets. is connectedby means of.. a stack- .ing iron. I'I. -Each iron I1 is deflected-nearlboth ends at 58 for forming side arms I9, the endscf -which.are turned. inwardly to provide pivots or .pintles .20 which project through the openings I-6 ottheside flanges I4 of the corner brackets. ..-Aiter the pintles F20 are projected throughetheside v 5 flanges M of the corner brackets, .the,ends.of.the

.pintles areenlarged or swaged to formflattened heads 2! .toprevent the. pint-les 2.0 fr.om-being pulled outwardly through the. openings I6 of..the corner brackets. After the swagingof-thepintles -70 I6, each of the stacking units, tconsisting-of.a

stacking iron and two.corner.brackets,.is-adapted .to be engaged on one end of a boxtwiththereuxlarged pintle heads-2|.projecting intosthe openings- I2 of the side rails II. The corner.:brackets are rigidly secured to the top frame by means of rivets, nails, or other suitable fastening means. As illustrated in Figure 1, the stacking irons I! are in their outermost position, clear of the open top of the box to permit a similar box to be nested in a lower box with the end rails of the upper box seated on the upturned cross members of the stacking irons I! to hold the nested boxes sufiiciently :separated .to permit easy. disengagement thereof. For the purpose 'of stacking the boxes, when filled, one upon the other, the stacking irons I1 are swung upwardly and inwardly from the positions illustrated in Figure 1 to rest on the side members of the top flanges I5 of the corner 'brackets* with.'the cross members of the stacking fbaiils projecting"downwardly into the top of the -*boxa"short"distance to a position to permit an vupperrbox-torbe-stacked upon the lower box supported on the stacking bails or irons I1.

Figure-4 illustrates a fragmentary corner portion of ;-2,'.m0dified tformpf -.box which is constructed rsimilarttoethe.boxillustratedin Figure 1, .with the. exception that! the .bottom runners are .omittedasothatthe lowerends. of the corner angle brackets :22. are bent over flat against .thepan bottom 3. .Rigidlysecuredagainst the bottom memhers-23 of .eachof the angle irons.22 is a metal Tdomesortbuttonyfoot 21, -.The..dome or .button .foot; Reserves-as a support -for..the,box .to permit ..the..ea sy.-slidingthereofover afioor.

rFigure-r-S :illustrates\assectional detail view of a-vmodifiedform ofrbox or crate. similar to the one .-i1lustrated:-in-.-1ligure -1 .but having the, metal base 'pantmountedwithinathe bottom portion of the box body insteadof on the-exterior-thereof. In .thisi'form of the device the flanges=4 and 5 of the rbase ;;pan are tseated against the inner faces of tthe 'JOWBI DOI't-iQDS', of the walls of the box.

Figure 6 illustrates sa (fragmentary .sectional view of another modified i-form-of box "or crate rsimilar .to-.-the boxillustrat-ed in Figure 5, with :the-exwptionthat the inner faces of the lower margins of. the 'end' and. side-walls I and '2 of-the box :are =rrecessedat 2-5 .to receive the flanges-4 and 5 of the base-pan so that: the. inner-faces of '"said z'basepan flanges are flush -w-ith the zinner iacesrof the :-wallsof the :box toprovide substan- ItiaIK Y 'SmOOth surfaces i-withinr the box.

:It will otcourse-bennderstood that various details -of construction .---rn-ay .be varied through a wide range-without departing I from the. principles of i this invention andl it is therefore nottthe' purposeto limit theipatent granted hereon otherwise 'zthan necessitated by" thescope of the appended yclaim.

:Iclaimaasmy invention:

Ar-stackingbox or-crate for fruit'andthe like, ssaidrcrate'zcomprisingwa rectangular plywood? body -section ofz-inclined sideand end walls, means .to :protect the lower'vend of said body section against H rot: and aalso to connectw said endandsidewalls, rsaidrprotectingand connecting means comprising aatbottomeforming; paniof metal having' upstandingrifianges which arevsecured-against the inner ffsaces ofasaidcend aands sidewalls at. the lower ends rof :zsaidvwalls in protecting relation thereto, and "with the -lower :*ends of '.-said Walls providing a buffer for said flangesgrnet-aliangle strips on the exteriorcorners of said :boxaand-disposed over meeting aedgesofw said side and end walls, runner .--'str ips\ disposed under said pan, -said-angle strips being; secured to said-side and .end walls and having their lower endsssecuredto saidrunner strips.

T. HOVORKA. 

